My happy place

[frozenwater]

Alta is my happy place. All my best friends have been there with me at one time or another.

It had been a long long time since I had been there. maybe a decade or more. But when it was time to take my son for the first time ever it was the place to go. Last year some time, before the world burned and the plague fucked up my first season back.


Spent a minute here tonight. Read through really old PM's. A shocking amount of em' from those who have passed on. Life is short, we should ski more.

[byates1]

i'm in big sky dec-apl. may in the lost rivers/ lone pine ca. may-ish.

cool post. get sum!

[abraham]

Life is short, we should ski more.

This is true on the board and in general.

Alta's not my happy place, but it is one of my places to be happy.


And B. you've suggested leaving the name of that range out of posts several times before. Edit thyself.

[byates1]

sup son? henry's and lemphi's are way out ranges,

what range?

[byates1]

my season been locked in 4 months ago.

[frozenwater]

Creating new threads seems too audacious for someone who has at best lurked occasionally in the last 10 years. So I’m posting my thoughts on a hall of fame thread here that really got me thinking last night.

This thread stated my happy place was Alta, it’s a great place. I think at one time my happy place was right here, at TGR. I just spent the night and this morning rereading hall of fame threads. They truly represent what was best and brightest here. In particular "Possible restrictions on Rt. 88" is a banger. Some random thoughts from that post that is now over two decades old:

- Gonzo, Basom, Mildbill, LaneMyer, Alkasquawlik lived a life in that thread. I bet they still look back at January of 2005 as a highlight of their life.

- We were all so young. We didn't think we were young, but damn. Talk of trying to get back to school, turning in applications for grad school, sleeping on floors, the craziness of it all was possible in part because young=if not dumb, then unaware. I'm mid fifties now, and I aint sleeping on no floor....

- They mentioned a young 17-year-old ripper. Alkasquawlik mentions that in 3 years she will be something else - name of Michelle Parker. That same Michelle Parker is now a redbull athlete with so many movies and stories behind her. Redbull states on her athlete profile "One of freeskiing's most recognizable and in-demand talents". What’s even crazier....that 17 year old high school girl is freaking 38 now.

- Along the way a few Tahoe maggots were talking about how they wished they could get out of work, (watersnowdirt, Honc, etc). I bet they don’t remember what was so important at work. I bet they don't look back thinking "I made the right call".

- And mostly i think - what happened to me? How have I now gone 5 years without skiing at all, and ten years without a real ski season. I gave it up for things that frankly - don't hold a candle to the stoke I just read. I sought and found "corporate “success. I spent my life broke as hell. struggling, and was tired of it. So I hunkered down, worked hard, nights, weekends, and rose through the ranks to the top position in my company. I was it, top guy. Then the family who owned the business asked me to sell it for them, I worked for a year every day, 12 hours a day, not a day off and did all the due diligence, the negotiating, closed the deal and made the family super wealthy. 50 million wealthy. Now I am the top dog of a branch in a multi billion dollar company and bored off my ass. I'm no longer broke, I obtained the financial security I dreamed of - I would trade it all in to do it over and keep skiing with friends.

-lastly, since this place is circling the drain and it probably will be dead next time i check in - Damn I love you guys. Though most the maggots I love are gone, like I am - I love you. You were my life through my late 20's, all through my thirties and into my early 40's. This place is special. Mostly asinine, but here and there truly special.

love you - frozen fred

[BmillsSkier]

Excellent post. Thanks for sharing.

[Danno]

A+++ post frozen, would read again. This place is better when you are posting in it. Start skiing again, there's no reason you can't put that back in your life. As a (somewhat) professional in my 50s who still makes skiing a priority, I can attest to the fact it can still bring much joy. If you ever come to the front range or steamboat area, I will buy you some beers or whatever your beverage of choice is. Preferably while we're hanging out in the parking lot after a day of turns.

[liv2ski]

Frozen, you need to come back into the light. I didn't start skiing until I was 45, so with your background, you would be ripping again in no time and having the best time of your life.
Surfing used to be everything to me and I've hardly been in the water in the last 5 years. Like yourself I really need to do that again. Maybe we both need to make a big change and get back to what we loved.

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

[up an down]

Nice to hear from you Fred!.. Congrats for attaining financial security.. Life can be a series of compromises. Sometimes we need to put work first depending on our circumstances. I hope you find some time to experience more joy in the future. I think there are still some happy places in the world.

[Dantheman]

Well said, Fred, thanks for sharing. I went through a 3-4 year period where due to various circumstances I didn't ski at all. No matter how long you've been gone it's never too late.

[m2711c]

Never too late to go skiing. Like the dude said, man. Tune in, turn on, drop out and go skiing. Use some of that cash pile to make up for lost time, brother. Join us at Eurogrumble 2026!

[mcski]

Great post!!! Since Covid started, ski seasons have gone off to do list. Add in ikon crowding and knee that probably should get a new acl and i just haven’t had the motivation to get out there at all.

I have hope that this place will survive somehow and hopefully the tribe will start to come back and dust off the cobwebs. Reading the HoF is a great reminder of how special this place is.

If you’re in the sf area, hit me up.

[Meadow Skipper]

Nice post, and a little poignant. Things change, and I miss a lot about those things the way they were.

[mcski]

I still have naive faith that the forum will resurrect like a phoenix and come back to life after August.

[chaka]

I like your post frozenfred, thanks for that.

[altachic]

So well said, Fred. You were the first friend we saw right after DTM and I got married. We came to Jackson on our honeymoon and immediately came to visit you in the TGR office.
There are too many good memories to list here so thank you for reminding us.
I ski less now and mountain bike way more but I still love skiing, just in a different way.
Also yes, were all SO young back then. I'll be 45 this fall. WTF??

[Woodsy]

Alta is where we met F, irl after powmag
All the years and multiple addresses and many stories that cant be told.
Be well and glad we are in touch.

See you soon & always remember "dont miss that turn at the bottom..." #stockli4life

[EWG]

Alta is still, very much, one of my happy places. Thanks for the post.

[Djongo Unchained]

Skiing is a lifelong sport. I got a dollar to your dime that you could make turns tomorrow, given the proper situation.

And the mountains are always there.

I can assure you that The Vill looks the same 10+ years later. well, mostly.
I would be stoked to show you whats new out there.

Altho he^^^ beat me to it, Id like to invite you to the TGRZ shindig next March In Switzerland.
If you want a reintroduction to all that is the cool vibe amongst TGR ski bums and tgr dentists, it is a really great time.

EuroGrumble 2026 for your calendar...

[CS]

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts frozen. I oft wonder where many of the 'ol stalwarts have ended up.I remember back in the day skiing with Mr AG and Xover and thinking they were old. Hah. I am older now than they were at that time. Freaking time just always marching on.

[Buzzworthy]

Saw both of those guys in the past month actually CS.
Both are doing well.

[Pow4Brains]

Rad Fred, thanks for sharing.


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